Slicing machine



NOV. 29, 1932. lw J, CAMPBELL I 1,889,540'l SLIGING' MACHINE Filed DGO. 16, 1929 2 ShQS-S-let l figg;

Nav. 29, 1932. w, J. CAMPBELL 1,889,540

sLIcING MACHINE Filed Deo. 16. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @KA/Mm Wa/Wega:

Patented Nov. 29, 1932 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM` J. CAMPBELL, or InnInnApoLIs, INDIANA, AssIeNon. To AMERICAN sLICING MACHINE CoMiaNY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; A ConroRATIoN or nnwonx sLICING MACHINE Y My invention relates to an improvement in slicing machines of the type in which a rotary knife is associated with a work supporting carriage and means for guiding it past the cutting edge and across the face of the knife. One object of my invention is the provision of means forv preventing lateral movement of the work upon the carriage.' Another object is the provision of guiding means for .guiding the work in the pathv toward the knife. Another object is the provision of laterally adjustable guiding and holding means for engaging theopposite sides of the work upon the carriage. Other objects will appear from time to time in the course ofthe specification and claims.l 4

I illustrate my invention more ,or less` .diagranimatically in the accompanying `drawings, wherein- Y Figure lis an elevation; Figure 2 is a section on the Figure l; j

Figure 3 is a plan view; Figure 4 is a sectionl on the line .4--4 of Figure 2; and Y v Figure 5 isa section :similar .to Figure V4: of a modification. ff

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, generally line 24j-2` of indicates any suitable base ,orframe `member mounted for example upon yieldingsupports or studs A1. Mounted on the frame is anyv suitable driving means the details of -which ldo not form ofl themselves any .part

of the present invention; I illustrate, .however, a driving belt B passing about apulley 4B1V upon the knife shaft B2. Bsindicates the rotary knife having a forward depression B4 inwhich seats the .arcuate edge B6 ofthe forward guard plate B5. It will be understood that the axis of the knife is preferably hori zontal and is tilted somewhat out vof perpendicularity to the guard plateB., in order that the gauge plate may be moved into and out of the cuttingplane and may be sety at any desired adjustment, to control the thickness Vof the slices. It will be observed, as inFig ure2, that the gauge plate is somewhat bowed, j. Vas at C3, to conform to the arc of thecutting Aplane caused by the tilting ofthe knife axis.

The guard and Agaugeplates lie ingenerally parallel planes.

D'D1 indicatetracks upon'the frame A,

along which is slidable the carriage structure generally indicated as D2. Tiltably mounted upon the carriage D2 is the work engaging or supporting member D3 which may be pivoted as at D4 and which may be held in tilted adjustment, as by `the links D.5 slotted as at D6. D7 is any suitable locking knob adapted to lock the links in position, DB being washers adapted to engage the sides of the links. D9 indicates any suitable guide pin or track associated with the carriage, and preferably mounted upon or supported upon themember D3. Movable therealong is any suitable pusher plate which is not indicated herein as not forming of itself any part vof the present invention and as not necessarily being employed with the. structure.

E indicates a uide shaft or pin extending along the edgeothe member D3 remote from the cutting plane.` Slidable therealong is the r sleeve El the bore of rwhich is grfooved'ras at E2 as `Shown in Figures 2 and 4. E E3. are

Isprings positioned within said grooves and `operative between the opposed facesof .the

pin E and the sleeve El. Preferably these springs are of such strength as vto permit movement of the sleeve along the pin in response to positive thrust, but to resist any tendency ,of the v.sleeve to ,Shift upon the `lpin except in response to a positive Vthrust. AIt

Vwill be understoodthat the sleeve iS rotatable .about ,the pin as well' as slidable-along it.

.Associated with the sleeve is the guide mem! lber E4 extending towards the cutting plane, and'generally perpendicular to the planes of gauge and guard plate. It maybe secured to the ,sleeve El, as by being screwed as at E5 -totheextension yor lug E6 of the sleeve. E7 is a downward projection from .the lower .edge ofthe member :E4 whereby its outer .end may be supported upon the member D3, it being in general preferable that the rest of the lower edge of the member E4 be held out of contact with the face of the member D3. As will be seen by the dotted line position of the member E1 in Figure 2 it may be swung out of position and out of vertical alignment with the face of the member D3. Also, as shown in Figure 3, I preferably provide an extension D10 of the member D3, whereby the member EA1 may be moved laterally out of vertical alignment with the face of the member D2. It will be seen, as in Figure 3, that the right hand end of the pinE extends somewhat to the right of the right-hand edge of the member D2. For example the end of the pin may be mounted upon the bracket D12.

At the left-hand edge of the member D3, in the position in which it is shown in Figures 2 and 3, is a fixed guide or stop or abutment member G. It may terminate at its inner edge in the upward extension G1 associated with the guard member G2 which serves to mask the cutting edge of the knife ywhen the carriage is at the termination of its cutting excursion.

Referring to Figure 5 it illustrates a form of control means for the member E2 which differs somewhat from that shown in Figure 4. The bar E is therein shown as notch-ed as at E2o in opposition to the trigger or dog E21, which may be employed to maintain a positive contact with the said notches, in order to hold the member E4 against movement. E22 indicates a spring whereby the member E21 may be held in locking engagement with the notches E20, and E22 is a manually controlled lever whereby the member E21 may be lifted against said spring E22.

It will be realized that whereas I have described and shown a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes might be made in the size, shape,'number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in broad sense illustrative and diagrammatic rather vthan as limiting me to my specific showing.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

In slicing material upon a slicing machine of the class herein shown it is desirable to prevent lateral movement of the work upon the carriage and to constrain the work to movement toward the cutting plane. The work may be fed forwardly toward the cutting plane either by a pusher plate or by direct manual contact. Where a pusher plate is employed of a width sufficiently great to extend substantially across the member D3, it is necessary to remove the pusher plate when the member E2 is adjusted to positions more closely adjacent the fixed abutment G than the width of the pusher plate. I find in practice that it is important to prevent lateral movement of the work for several reasons. For one reason, if the work is clamped between two abutments, it is always solidly positioned against the fixed abutment G. In such case, when the work is moved into contact with the cutting edge of the knife, the drag on the work is at a minimum and a clean, square slice is taken. When cutting such relatively soft materials as meat loaf or some of the softer sausages a cleaner slice is cut and the slice is cut more easily. The relatively soft substance is more or less compressed or guided between two abutments which engage its opposite sides. An adjustable abutment is also of use in constraining round articles, such as the harder sausages, from rolling upon the flat face of the support D3. It is not always practical to tilt the support in order to hold such articles by gravity against the abutment G. It is quicker to move the movable abutment or member E4 into contact with a bit of sausage than it is to tilt the whole support D3 into position to hold the sausage by gravity against the abutment G. f

Since it is not always desirable to use the movable member E4, it may be moved into the dotted line position, as shown in Figure 3, in which case the entire surface of the member D3 is exposed for use, either with or without the pusher plate. When de-crusting bread or de-rinding bacon, it is even possible to swing the member E4 into the position in which it is shown in Figure 2, in which case it doesnot interfere with the derinding or de-crusting operation.

I claim:

1. In a slicing machine having a knife and means for actuating it, a work supporting carriage and means for guiding it across the face and past the cutting edge of the knife, and a plurality of work guides upstanding above the surface of the carriage and generally perpendicular to the path of movement of the carriage, one of said guides being freely slidable, in relation to the carriage, along a path generally parallel with the path of movement of the carriage, and guiding means for said work guide, including a track member mounted upon said carriage along the edge remote from the cutting plane and below the plane of the work supporting portion of the carriage, a sleeve slidable along said track member, and a rigid supporting connection between said sleeve and said guide.

2. In a slicing machine having a knife and means for actuating it, a work supporting carriage and means for guiding it across the face and past the cutting edge of the knife, and a plurality of work guides upstanding above the surface of the carriage and generally perpendicular to the path of movement of the carriage, one of said guides being freely l slidable, in relation to the carriage, along a path generally parallel with the path of movement of the carriage, and guiding means for said work guide, including a track member mounted upon said carriage along the edge remote from the cutting plane and below the plane of the work supporting portion of the carriage, asleeve slidable along said track member, and a rigid supporting connection between said sleeve and said guide, and frictional means associated with said sleeve, operating automaticallyto prevent unintended movement of the sleeve along the guide.

.3. In a slicing machine having a knife and means for actuating it, a work `supporting carriage and means for guiding it across the face and past the cutting edge of the knife, and a plurality of work guides upstanding above the surface of the carriage and generally perpendicular to the path of movement of the carriage, one of said guides being freely slidable, in relation to the carriage, along a path generally parallel with the path of movement of the carriage, and guiding means for said guide, including a track member mounted upon said carriage laterally of the edge remote from the cutting plane, a sleeve slidable along said track member, and a supporting connection between said sleeve and said guide, said track member extending a suiiicient distance beyond the edge of the carriage which faces the cutting edge of the knife when the carriage is at the beginning of the cutting stroke, to permit the work guide to be moved laterally beyond said edge of the carriage.

4. In a slicing machine having a knife and means for actuating it, a work supporting carriage and means for actuating it across the face and past the cutting edge of the knife, and a plurality of work guides upstanding above the surface of the carriage and generally perpendicular to the path of Y movement of the carriage, one of said'guides being freely slidable, in relation to the carriage, generally parallel with the path of movement of the carriage, and guiding means for said guide, including a track member mounted upon said carriage along the edge remote from the cutting plane, a sleeve slidable along said track member, and a supporting connection between said sleeve and said guide, said sleeve and guide being rotatably mounted in relation to said track member.

5. In a slicing machine having a knife and means for actuating it, a work supporting carriage and means for guiding it across the face and past the cutting edge of the knife, and a plurality of work guides upstanding above the surface of the carriage and genmovement of the carriage, guide means positioned along the edge of said carriage remote from the cutting plane of the knife and eX- tending beyond the edge of said carriage that leads to a cutting stroke, a rigid supporting means by which lsaid slidable work guide is connected to said guide means, bearing means carried bythe slidable work guide remote from said guide means engaging the work supporting face of the carriage, and an extension carried by the carriage on said leading edge and cooperating with that portion of the guide extending beyond said leading edge to support the slidable work` guide laterally of the work supporting portion of the carriage adjacent said leading edge thereof.

Signed at Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, this 19th day of November, 1929.

WILLIAM J. CAMPBELL.

erally perpendicular to the path of movement of the carriage, one of saidvguides being slidable, in relation to the carriage, along a path generally parallel with the path of llU 

